LONDON: A British teenager who murdered two sisters in a London park as part of a pact he believed he had made with demonic forces to kill women every six months in exchange for a future lottery win has been jailed for a minimum of 35 years.

Danyal Hussein, now 19, stabbed to death Bibaa Henry, 46, and Nicole Smallman, 27, in a savage attack in a country park in northwest London in June last year after they had celebrated Henry’s birthday with friends.

Hussein had carried out the murders to fulfil his side of a “contract” with the demon “Mighty King Lucifuge Rofocale”, which he signed using his own blood, promising to “perform a minimum of six sacrifices every six months for as long as I am free and physically capable”.

The sisters had gone to Wembley’s Fryent Park to celebrate with friends but stayed alone into the early hours. They took 150 photos, with the last “haunting” picture showing them looking sideways at what police believe was the arrival of Hussein.

“Hussein is a dangerous, arrogant and violent individual who from the outset has shown no remorse or acceptance of his actions,” said Maria Green, a detective inspector in London’s Metropolitan Police. “I hope that knowing he will now spend many years behind bars will bring a small degree of comfort to Bibaa and Nicole’s loved ones.”

Hussein stabbed Henry eight times and Smallman suffered 28 wounds. After the murders, he dragged the bodies into woodland where they were found intertwined the following day by Smallman’s boyfriend after being reported missing by police.

The teenager, who lived with his mother, was traced by bloodstains found at the scene and was arrested almost four weeks later. The police believe only a hand injury he suffered during the murders prevented him from carrying out further killings.

Handing out the 35-year minimum term on Thursday, Justice Whipple told Hussein: “You committed these vicious attacks. You did it to kill. You did it for money and a misguided pursuit of power.”

“This was a calculated and deliberate course of conduct, planned and carried out with precision. Bizarre though the pact with the devil may appear to others, this was your belief system, your own commitment to the murder of innocent women,” the judge said. “No family should have to endure this.”

Home secretary, Priti Patel, said the government must “ultimately do much more in the protection and the prevention of these abhorrent crimes”, especially in relation to violence against women and girls and how complaints of violence are handled.

She said that questions were “being asked within the Metropolitan police” about their response to the case, which the police watchdog said was “below the standard that it should have been”.